Welcome to Open Orchard! I really believe that if more of us were doing things we cared about locally, the world would be better and we’d be much happier. Open Orchard provides a way for people to come out, plant a fruit tree and in so doing connect with neighbors and care for the environment.”

Wayne Trevor, Co-Founder, Open Orchard

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today"- Chinese proverb

The Open Orchard Project connects communities through fruit and the planting of fruit trees in public places. These trees provide free fruit to local residents and greenery to our urban environments. So far Open Orchard groups have operated mostly in London, En...

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today"- Chinese proverb

The Open Orchard Project connects communities through fruit and the planting of fruit trees in public places. These trees provide free fruit to local residents and greenery to our urban environments. So far Open Orchard groups have operated mostly in London, England but the idea is just as relevant in the US and Ireland and so we would love to see Open Orchard groups start up and plant fruit trees on public land across many more cities.

The Opportunity
The environmental effects of planting trees takes time. A newly planted tree will offer some extra pollination opportunities and absorb a small amount of carbon dioxide and additional rainwater that might have gone into drains, however year on year, these positive effects increase as the tree grows.

Since the fruit tress are planted on public land it is necessary to have buy-in from the local council, but for the project to really be sustainable, engaged communities need to act as the custodians of the trees. The project can give neighbors the opportunity to meet properly for the first time, while working towards a common goal with a sense of purpose. In many areas, especially urban ones, this can be very important. Even if neighburs move away from the area the trees will live for 20-30 years - and remain a shared connection and legacy.

The fruit harvested from the trees can provide the community with a new source of fresh food. This fruit can be eaten raw or used to produce other products (which in years to come could be an opportunity for a social business).

“Everyone was focused on getting those trees planted, it was raining as well but that didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. It was just one of those nice things to do and I felt good afterwards.”

Open Orchard participant, London

How to get involved

Time:
You will need approximately 5 hours per week to start an Open Orchard group and then the time required will vary throughout the year: approx 7 hours per week around planting and harvesting and less then 1 hour at other times of the year.

This 5 step guide will show you how to start an Open Orchard group in your community, to help connect communities through planting fruit trees in public places. We hope to spread the Open Orchard idea and we'll provide plenty of support to you along the way!

5 Steps

Assemble an Open Orchard teamContact Your Local CouncilChoose and source your fruit treesOrganise and hold the tree planting dayOngoing care by the community

Who?

Enjoys bringing people in the community togetherIs passionate about learning how to grow fruit treesIs a good communicator